Quebec student groups meet to ponder election tactics

Three major provincial student groups — CLASSE, the federation of CEGEP students and the federation of university students — are in separate general meetings in Quebec this weekend.

At the Montreal assembly of the Quebec Federation of University Students, known by its French initials FEUQ, the provincial election campaign looked to dominate the agenda.

The organization has already launched a campaign to get students to exercise their right to vote on Sept. 4. FEUQ president Martine Desjardins has made it a priority, noting that the turnout in the 2008 provincial election was an anemic 40 per cent among people aged 18 to 34.

Her federation is counting on improving that number. Desjardins said an important part of the effort is combating the cynicism of many young voters toward electoral politics.

The co-spokesperson for Québec Solidaire, Françoise David, is the guest speaker at the FEUQ meeting.

The Quebec Federation of CEGEP Students, or FECQ, is also holding a general assembly Saturday.

The meetings come as student associations across the province vote on whether to end the strike they began last winter.

So far, pupils at three CEGEPs have voted to go back to class, while five student associations representing about 6,110 members at the University of Sherbrooke, the University of Montreal and the University of Quebec at Montreal have opted to continue the strike.